The WTCS season rolls into the Mediterranean this weekend with a new stop on the calendar—Alghero, Sardinia—and with it, a brewing rivalry takes center stage. At the heart of the action? Australia’s Matt Hauser, who arrives with a golden streak and the coveted number one bib, and Portugal’s Vasco Vilaça, the ever-persistent chaser still searching for that elusive first WTCS win.
Just two weeks ago, Hauser delivered a commanding performance in Yokohama, leapfrogging to the top of the Series rankings after backing up his silver in Abu Dhabi with gold in Japan. Now, in Alghero’s sun-soaked coastal setting, the Aussie is looking to further tighten his grip on the Series lead with another 1,000-point haul.
Sardinia isn’t exactly new terrain for triathlon, with previous WTCS and World Cup races lighting up Cagliari and Arzachena over the past decade. But this weekend, it’s Alghero—on the island’s picturesque northwest coast—that takes on hosting duties. The course promises classic Olympic-distance intensity: a 1.5km swim, a technical 9-lap 40km bike, and a 4-lap 10km run through historic streets and coastal breezes.
Hauser has only raced once on Sardinian soil, finishing 11th in Cagliari in 2022. But with a WTCS Final looming on home turf in Wollongong later this year, Alghero is a golden opportunity to build separation from the field before the Series even hits its halfway mark.
Vilaça, though, has been relentless. He’s shadowed Hauser at every turn this year—silver behind silver in Abu Dhabi and Yokohama—and while the time gaps have been razor-thin (18 seconds in Abu Dhabi, just 6 in Japan), the Portuguese star has shown that he’s not far off from cracking the code. After eight podiums without a win, Vilaça is itching to rewrite the narrative.
Behind the headline duo, Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo is emerging as a major factor in 2025. With two bronzes in four races, his bike strength and growing race IQ make him a serious podium threat once again. If he can smooth out the swim and conserve energy over the 40km ride, he could be the spoiler on Saturday.
Portugal’s Ricardo Batista is another to watch. He was the surprise package of Paris 2024 with a sixth-place finish and has quietly built momentum ever since. With a well-rounded skillset and growing Olympic-distance experience, a first WTCS podium seems only a matter of time.
Then there’s Max Stapley, flying the flag for Britain. In just his second full WTCS season, he’s become a front-pack regular thanks to his aggressive swim-bike combo. Back-to-back finishes just outside the top 10 suggest he’s ready to take the next step—and Alghero could be the breakout.
France, meanwhile, brings its usual depth. Leo Bergere and Dorian Coninx, fourth and fifth in Yokohama, are back in action and joined by Pierre Le Corre, who makes his 2025 Series debut. A Frenchman has yet to podium this year—could that change on Sardinian soil?
Rounding out the key contenders are Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk and Charles Paquet, both top 10 in Yokohama and looking sharp, as well as Spain’s David Cantero, the U23 World Champion, returning from a training block with the kind of leg speed that could light up the run. Keep an eye, too, on GB’s Hugo Milner, a blistering runner who recently paced Alex Yee at the London Marathon. If he’s in contact off the bike, make sure to be prepared.
